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What are the best things to look for when you’re shopping for IT training? This article gives you five surefire ways you can tell if your IT training will be the best it can be - before you spend any money!

1. Try Before You Buy. Request free samples of the training if possible, so you know what you’re buying before you get it. Make sure that the content you’re getting will give you the training you need.
2. Check the Content. Most training only focuses on exam knowledge. This type of training won’t help much on the job because it doesn’t teach you how to apply your certification in the real world. Also, be wary of training that’s nothing more than a thinly-disguised electronic copy of a book. This training is a high-cost alternative that doesn’t give you more than you would get by reading the book yourself.

   The best training will give you complete certification knowledge, then show you how to apply that knowledge on the job to do your work successfully.

3. Research the Company. Look for customer comments on the training company’s website, brochures, etc. Also, do a Google search to see what customers have to say when they’re not being featured in promotional material.
4. Look for Engaging Training. Compare the free samples you’ve found: which are engaging and easy to learn from? Because training can be a long process, you want an instructor that holds your attention, gives a great learning experience, and delivers tons of content without sounding like they’re reading from a textbook.
5. Find Training That Works For You. There are many types of training out there, such as books, classes, sample tests and videos. Books are usually the cheapest option, but they can be hard to follow and many people find themselves easily distracted when studying with them. Because classes are instructor-led, they can be engaging and easy-to-follow, but they can be very expensive and inconvenient. Sample tests often only determine if you know the material or not, and are better used to test the knowledge you have than for actually learning.

   Training videos are a great option for many people because they are instructor-led and easy to follow. They are a cost-effective alternative to classes, plus they’re very convenient, allowing you to train on your own time and to keep the content so that you can use it as an ongoing reference.

Copyright 2005, CBT Nuggets, Inc.

CBT Nuggets, Inc. has been producing IT certification training videos since 1999. The videos cover all certification objectives and give real world application strategies, plus they’re competitively priced. Visit http://www.cbtnuggets.com and register for unlimited free access to more than 50 videos, containing over 25 hours of training.

All of us are familiar with the pyramids of Egypt. These magnificent structures have stood for thousands of years, withstanding extreme heat and other factors that would bring down an ordinary structure.

When we look at these pyramids, we instinctively look toward the peak. We tend to do the same with the Cisco Learning Pyramid. If you’re not familiar with this, Cisco uses a pyramid to illustrate how the CCIE is at the peak of the Cisco certification structure, with the CCNP in the middle and the CCNA at the bottom.

I’m often asked how to become a CCIE. My response is always “Become a master CCNA and a master CCNP first”. That answer is often followed by a puzzled look, as though I’ve mentioned some new kind of Cisco certification. But that’s not it at all.

The reason the pyramids of Egypt are so strong, and the reason they have lasted for thousands of years, is that their foundations are so strong. It’s not the well-built peak that allows such a building to last it’s the foundation.

The same can be said for your Cisco certification studies. As a CCNA candidate, you may not even be thinking about the CCIE yet (although I hope you will!). You may be looking ahead toward the CCNP. You must realize, though, that the skills you will learn in your CCNP and CCIE studies are built upon the studies you do for your CCNA.

Indeed, your CCNA studies are the most important studies of your career.

Let me repeat that. Your CCNA studies are the most important studies of your career.

Look at some of the topics you’ll have to master for your CCNP and CCIE, such as OSPF and using binary math. You cannot understand how the many types of OSPF networks work unless you understand how OSPF works in the first place. And how can you possibly use wildcard masks, access control lists, and the many other applications of binary math you’ll encounter in your CCNP and CCIE studies if you don’t get that fundamental understanding of binary at the CCNA level?

I know we work in a field where our customers tend to want things done yesterday. I know that it’s hard not to be in a hurry when you’re studying for your CCNA - I’ve been there! Keep in mind, though, that when you’re studying for your CCNA, you’re not just studying for a certification exam - you’re building the foundation for the rest of your Cisco certifications and the rest of your career.

To your success,

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (http://www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. Video courses and training, binary and subnetting help, and corporate training are also available. Pass the CCNA exam with Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933!